The Placemaking Roundup: Ideas Ripe for Scaling Up

May 21, 2015

Dec 14, 2017

One of the best things about being part of the Placemaking movement is the ability to witness the incredible breadth and creativity of its members. To showcase this diversity of talent, the Placemaking Leadership Council’s annual meetings feature a popular session—called “The Placemaking Roundup”—in which a handful of members give brief presentations describing their recent projects and initiatives.

The theme of the Roundup in Pittsburgh was “Ideas Ripe for Scaling Up,” and video of this session is now available! (Recordings from the 2013 gathering in Detroit are available here.)

While each of these projects is unique to the individual place and local context, their innovative approaches are widely accessible, and they can be applied in all kinds of communities. We hope that these presentations continue to inspire your own Placemaking efforts, big or small.

Sarida Scott

Community Development Advocates of DetroitDetroit, Michigan

"There is a place for fun and joy in our lives that we can't forget about as we are doing this work and tackling these other issues."

Andrew Pask

Vancouver Public Space NetworkVancouver, British Columbia, Canada

"Public space and Placemaking really gave us a wonderful thread to tie together a number of different initiatives, groups, and community activities."

Devin Mathis

ArtbridgeNew York, New York

"With our exhibitions, we are trying to change the culture of a place before the construction is finished."

Lou Huang

StreetmixSan Francisco, CA and New York, NY

"We all know streets are incredibly important public spaces, but I thought it was a shame that we confined this discussion to a single room at a single point in time."

Myeta Moon

KaBOOM! Washington, D.C.

"While our presence and impact have grown, so have the problems facing the children in our county. To put it simply, play is disappearing."

Lisbeth Iversen

Anchor ConsultingBergen, Norway

"Places belong to people - it's about democracy, empowerment, and environment. And it's about acting, not just talking."